Amalgamator mixer



Oct. 13, 1953 s. R. MEAKER AMALGAMATOR MIXER Filed July 26, 1951 I l I I h R/M ma mm y 4 m n V m mE m m w M E r k I E; w 5 5&6

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMALGAMAToR MIXER Stanleighlt. Mcaker, Clyde N a Y. ApplicationJuly 26,1951, Serial No. 238,700

The invention herewith described pertains aninstrument of simple; design and construction intended for use by dentists in mixing the ingredients of" which amalgam fillings are made,

but the instrument is not necessarily restricted The appliance is operated Other features of merit inthe invention are its lightness in weight and the readiness with which it may be attached to and detached from the handpiece of the dental engine.

Details of the invention and its manner of use can be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and descriptive text, as follows:

Fig. I is a front view of the invention.

Fig. II is a back view of the invention.

Fig. III is a side view of the invention.

Fig. IV is a view of the crank portion.

Fig. V is a view of the journal or bearing portion before being shaped as in the projection K shown in Fig. VII.

Fig. VI is a view of the conical ferrule before being shaped as in Figs. I, II, and III.

Fig. VII is a top plan view of the journal or bearing portion.

Referring to the drawing:

Part I, Figs. I, II, III is a continuous piece of round wire bent in the general shape of a letter U and having circular loops at its upper extremities 18, in Fig. III, for holding the capsule in which are placed the ingredients to be mixed. Below the loops the wire is bent at right angles, first toward the center then downward and passes through a journal or bearing member 2, Figs. I, II, III. Below 2, bends in the wire at obtuse angles, outward then downward at a and 1;, Figs. II and I, allow room for rotation of crank 3, Fig. IV. At the bottom of the U, the wire is bent in the manner shown in Fig. III to be clasped by the tongue like projection l9, which is punched from the end portion or tail of part 4, Figs. I, II, III, IV.

2 Part Figs. I, II, III is" a" journal or bearing,

made from a flat strip of metal, Fig. V and rolled to theform shown at K in Fig. VII, opening [53 in this view, is the bearing or journal for the portion 11 of crank 3. Not too tight a fit at this point permits aslight sidewise play as the crank is rotated. Openings I4 and It, in the same view, claspthe upright arms or wire I tightly.

Part 3 the crank, is shown in detail in Fig.1V as having a head 5 and a collar 6 which prevent upward or downward. thrusts out of part 2; a reverse bend at 0 forms the crank. When in use, the lower straight portion" of. the crank enters the outer end of the dental engine handpiece 2 within which: itis grasped: bythe chuck mechanism provided for holding dental drills etc. Running the motor" of the dental. engine rotates the crank of? the amalgamator as though,

1 it were a drill. This: action: in. turn imparts a.

vibratory or oscillatory motion to the wire I and the loops holding the capsule containing the materials to be mixed.

Part 4, Figs. I, II, and III, is a conical ferrule which fits over the end of the dental engine handpiece 2|; 4 is made from a flat piece of metal of the form shown in Fig. VI; the broad portion is rolled to form the conical sleeve or ferrule e in Figs. II and III. Near the end of the tail of 4 a tongue like projection 19 is punched out and bent to form a loop or clasp through which the wire I passes loosely before bending abruptly upward at f and g in Figs. I, II, and III. The loose clasp l9 permits the vibratory or oscillatory motion of the upper portion of the instrument as previously described. In Fig. III, I9 is shown bent to form the clasp.

The capsule referred to as holding the materials to be mixed is in common use for various purposes. It is in two pieces, telescopic, being made of metal, Celluloid or plastic and is held in position in the space 20, Fig. I, by a slight spring pressure exerted betwen the circular loops l8 of wire I, Figs. I, II, and III.

While the mechanical principles involved in this device have heretofore been employed in amalgamators, this invention offs a new design of an amalgamator consisting of four unique but simple parts viz; a, wire frame, a journal or bearing, a crank and a conical ferrule.

What is claimed is:

l. A dental amalgamator adapted to be driven from a conventional dental engine of the type having a hand piece and a rotating chuck within the hand piece, said amalgamator comprising a ferrule for fitting over one end of the hand piece, a unitary vibrator frame of generally U-shaped form having at its rear end a base loosely pivoted to said ferrule for limited vibratory movement relative thereto and having arms extending forwardly from said base and a pair of opposed sockets at the forward ends of said arms for receiving the opposite ends of a capsule containing the amalgam to be treated, said arms being sufficiently resilient so that the outer ends thereof may be sprung apart so that the ends of said capsule may be inserted in and tightly and resiliently retained in said sockets, a crank pin having a rear end for insertion in the chuck of the dental engine hand piece and having a forward end located eccentrically with respect to said rear end, and a cross piece embracing said forward end of said crank pin and both arms of said vibrator frame in motion-transmitting relation thereto so that when the crank pin is rotated by a dental engine, the eccentric forward end thereof will vibrate said vibrator frame relative to said ferrule and thereby agitate the contents of the capsule held in said sockets of said vibrator frame.

2. A construction as defined in claim '1, in which said ferrule is formed of a piece of sheet metal extending in a general direction lengthwise of the hand piece of the dental engine and having near its forward end a pair of bent ears extending in a generally circumferential direction relative to said hand piece to embrace the same.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1, in which said sockets are formed by open loops at the forward ends of said arms of said vibrator frame.

. 4. A construction as defined in claim 1, in which said vibrator frame of U-shaped form is formed of a piece of wire bent into said form.

5. A construction as defined in claim 4, in which said sockets are formed by bending the forward ends of the two side arms of said piece of wire into loops.

6. A construction as defined in claim 5, in which said cross piece embraces the side arms of the vibrator frame at points a substantial distance forwardly from said base and a substantial distance rearwardly from said sockets, so that the resilience of the portions of said side arms between-said cross piece and said sockets will enable said sockets to be sprung apart enough for insertion and removal of the capsule to be agitated.

7. A construction as defined in claim 6, in which said cross piece is formed of a piece of sheet metal bent at its ends to embrace the wire side arms of the vibrator frame and bent intermediate its ends to form a bearing socket receiving said eccentrically located forward end of said crank pin.

8. A construction as defined in claim 7, in which said eccentrically located forward end of said crank pin has enlarged portions forwardly and rearwardly of said cross piece to restrain motion of said crank pin in an axial direction.

9. A construction as defined in claim 8, in which said crank pin is otherwise unconnected to and unrestrained against axial movement relative to said vibrator frame and said cross piece, except by said enlarged portions.

STANLEIGH A. MEAKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,530,212 Solon Mar. 17, 1925 1,747,378 McClure Feb. 18, 1930 2,151,123 Lavine Mar. 21, 1939 

